Rebuffing Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at the UN, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted today that he was prepared to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with it "without the shadow of terrorism" but asked it to create an "appropriate environment" for that.
Without making a direct reference to the strident speech of his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif here yesterday in which he had insisted on a plebiscite in Kashmir, Modi made it clear that "raising issues in this forum is not the way to make progress towards resolving issues between our two countries".
In his maiden address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, the Indian leader underlined that his government placed the highest priority on advancing friendship and cooperation with its neighbours, including Pakistan.
Speaking in Hindi, Modi said, "I am prepared to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism, to promote our friendship and cooperation.
"However, Pakistan must also take its responsibility seriously to create an appropriate environment," he told the Assembly.
